The Favored Mistress
by RvnCat9193
Summary: The mid 16th century perspective from Mary Boleyn Stafford, and her children, young people that have narrowly escaped from the presitigious and constantly endangering life at the court of Henry VIII.
1. Introduction Mary Boleyn

The Boleyn Misfortunes: Pt

**The Boleyn Misfortunes: Pt. 2**

**Setting: **

_A week after Anne Boleyn's death, and Mary Boleyn-Stafford, her dear sister is both grieving and counting the blessings that she's gained and lost from her family's death. Though she was never close with her sister, there were still irreplaceable bonds between the two of them that could never be redone, but at the same time. She misses and blames the death and downfall of the family upon her sister's shoulders, particularly of the loss and execution of her brother; George Boleyn; also tried and executed for supposedly charges of incestuous activity with Anne, as well as calling the King 'impotent.'_

_She now lives on a small farm countryside, way afar from the court of Great Henry VIII, who by now has already found another wife in the Boleyn-Howard family natural born Rival the youngest Seymour; Jane. Mary is desperate to keep her family, particularly her son and daughter, as well as husband close to her; and refuses to allow either of them to ever leave her though the time is coming for Catherine to be sent downstream to court. Catherine, awaiting twelve years old, and bears the Tudor illegitimacy, not to mention her Boleyn blood; is someone that is now denied legitimacy by Great Henry. _

_As Mary and William struggle with making peaceful tidings and communications with Mary's family who excommunicated her after marrying below her status to somebody apparently ordinary and with no value to her whatsoever, she struggles to regain enough composure and energy enough for her to bear a kid. She's already miscarried one, a daughter that was to be named Anne, and she is desperately in want of another._

**Time & Season:**

_26__th__ of May, 1536; Mid-spring – _

**Perspective: ** _Mary Boleyn-Stafford's_

"I've grown up in an aristocratic family, which is something that many have not been able to say with right and proper meanings. The Howard and Boleyn families are infamous for getting what they want, and using their ambition as far as they can go, just as my dear sister Anne has. I once was her husband's mistress, the great golden blonde prince Henry at least, at least until she started getting the ambition for her own self to become the Queen of England whilst I only wanted to become close. I was lady in waiting to his first wife, Catherine of Aragon after all, and I never thus wanted to betray her dismay her trust and happiness with me around. Unfortunately, because of my relations ambitions, I lost my younger son so that Anne could marry and also have my illegitimate son as the heir to the throne, which would satisfy Henry. I lost the golden prince who had once named one of his war vessels after myself, and I also lost the only family member that I could any bit relate and confide to. Dear, dear George.

Perhaps I'm now being rewarded for stepping out of the way in the knack of time, for listening to my husband William Strafford – whom I married out of love, not ambition and not out of money which dismayed my family and brought my exile from court, because I've managed to escape with my own head and my new family's. Will, dear Will, he never deserved to be brought into the ambition and strife that my spiteful Uncle desired for the well being of his family, and furthermost, himself. We now live a happy live, only a few days after my sister was beheaded. Sure, she never showed kindness to me, but it's not respectful to show no remorse for the dead. But now, because of her death, I have gained one of the only things close to me: my son.

What had Anne ever done for me besides provide me with charitable profits and earnings, and giving my husband a poor ransom, without any sort of title? What has she done that hadn't been in some way for herself, or for her uncle's pleasure? George once said, that we would all fall if she failed, and all rise if she succeeded. It's clear, that that is in many ways perfectly true, though I beg to pay ransom on the contrary. I've gained more out of the 'downfall,' and shame brought on the Boleyn family. I no longer consider myself a part of that family, I belong in William's Stafford family tree, and as shameful as it sounds; I will be the one that receives the profit from my family's deaths. There is no longer a male heir, that had once been George, and all the good tidings will fall to me. I, the one who never dared to step a toe out of line, even for a court full of love and tidings, that I knew which fortune could be brought down as much as it could be raised.

My life with William is pure bliss, we've made love from the Twelfth night onward, and we've been trying for another kid. I daresay that it shall be a great joy, rather than a bundle or weight on her shoulders, if we successfully give birth to another 'love child,' as William likes to label all of the children regardless that he is not the father of my younger two. He is admirable in the sense that he becomingly loves them regardless of their blood and heirlooms, their inheritance that's in store for them, and their illegitimacy.

A legitimate one for his family, and one that we could rightfully shroud our love and admiration with; I know that our kid wouldn't be any kind of royal prince, but I knew the courtier life was indeed going to be set out for a few members of our family. My niece Elizabeth, despite being proclaimed a bastard and being constantly shamed and looked upon as a Lady as a demotion from Princess, will rise to great heights; with much more of the same determination as in her mother. My son and my own daughter, Catherine and Henry, I know will be desperate to go back to the place that they were once raised and bred in.

As William once told me, how can two children with both Tudor and Howard/Boleyn blood in them deny any of the pleasures and gifts that life as a courtier could gratify them with?


	2. Catherine Carey

Date & Setting: Early Summer, June, 1536

**Date & Setting:** Early Summer, June, 1536

**Perspective: **Catherine Carey, Mary's eldest child.

"Now, what do I have now? I have now but a carriage of my own, as I'm fast approaching my thirteenth birthday in which I'll be summoned back to court. Additionally, three gold trimmed headdresses go along with my French silk gowns even

though we aren't the wealthiest in the world; and ought to not splurge as much as we do on these materialistic treasures. We have certainly made profit off of my stepfather's farm. But for a girl like me, who's been coveting the court life from the moment that I was born of my mother's womb, I daresay I want more in life. I'm partial Tudor, after all, or supposedly illegitimate from what my mother has told me – barely anything, though, mind you. If it weren't for the fact I'm in a family of proud and boastful genes, I would be mourning my aunt's death, but she never was terribly nice to me. It was always Henry that she favoured more so with her attention and cherishing. Aunt Anne, I know, only wanted to adopt him as her own son for the benefit of what it would be when married to the king. Unfortunately, bastards are not brought up in courts in these times. I'm considered the bastard son not of Great King Henry, the golden prince, but instead William Carey; the father that I never knew as he had died before I aged of ten years.

My father and I get along as daughters and fathers ought to, not bearing in mind that we aren't actually in blood relation. I help attend the crops in the field, and bear independent dwellings that ought not to be found in a lady as myself. It doesn't get to my conscious much though, as I'd rather be proud of independence and culture than conformity. I've been one much like my Aunt, rather than my mother, not seeking to fit into society, but instead to revolt against it. That's not saying I'm not subtle, as I daresay I shall not be willing to meet the same fate as many members apart of my mother's one time considerably esteemed family. It's a shame that I can't bear the necklace that my Aunt did, and it's a shame that I'll have to put myself through matrimony soon enough. Even though I long for a companion, what is the greatest ordeal with fornication? Is it as much of a sin as the priests at service regularly seem to proclaim? If so, how so is the King allowed to bed around with many a maid-chamber servant?

Seeing the riches and glamour of the court from being a lovely child that has been raised nearly twelve years in the presence of such notable figureheads such as various Dukes and whatnot, people that I have no desire to become acquainted to or have taken apart of my fancy. Certainly not! I daresay I do not want to see myself besotted, and losing my personable exterior. Oh dear me, I have to recall the dinner service earlier in the evening, my brother was chucking peas and food from his plate across the table at me. Something that even coming from children of his age is considered inappropriate. My mother got in a fuss, as she does regularly these days, and spent the rest of the night in the bedchamber. When she came out an hour or so, I lost track of time and I have no sundial around to check up on it, and I became intent on finding the real reason behind her stress. It was nearly three months after many of her family's deaths after all, but I think the loss of her child that was to become another member of our close family, and the first of my father's blood relative children; crippled her emotionally as well as exteriorly.

"You're a nosy one, aren't you, my daughter? I think we ought to have learnt our lessons in recent days from the happenings of late not to pry around or do anything terribly conspicuous. You will be told when the time comes what is upsetting mother, and if I catch you peeking through this crevice you will be whipped," my father told me, my brother trying to control his hysterics. It resulted in me leaving the room completely vacated to only my father and a few of his commoner friends, though from what I later gathered; one was a courtier. Oh! How I fancy a chat with him! Why must it be inappropriate for someone of such young age and devious looks, I do realize and value my beauty as much as my family's ambition, to strike up a conversation with a much older fellow? Did not our king marry somebody on the day they buried my mother, wouldn't that bring up much more of a shrouded scandal? Apparently 'tis not so.

Even though we live in the middle of the commonplace of England, which is typically made up of many farms far outnumbering the urban life, we do have our entertainment in other ways rather than spying on the occasional house scandal. There are a few gatherings in our tiny village made up of a few houses, and sometimes mother even allows me to ride in a carriage far away just for an entertainment extravaganza! She tells me, with a dismayed and clearly disapproving look – probably of my father's good advice that I was to be sent sooner or later, that I need to start becoming groomed as a housewife as well as taking care of my younger brother in steed. My luck! I'm such an accursed young girl that is unable to stay on one topic and not stray or linger from the eye of the conversation being discussed.

Now, what shall I discuss? Oh, of course. The delightful boy that caught my eye, a particular handsome fellow named Francis Knollys! Oh, alright, so he's not exactly what you would classify as _young, _being about double my age, but he is a courtier! Yes, I have to add that he's the same one that I brought up earlier. And he's quite wealthy, with a title from great Henry and all, I daresay my parents should be encouraging. There's only one scenario I must get through, I must keep him on his toes, instead of falling down flat into his bosom as my mother reportedly did. – Dear, I hope my brother Henry does not read my thoughts for fear that he would get all riled up at the thought of me bringing up the years she spent as mistress. For certain, that would result, if not in temporary exile, in dismissal from any social gatherings. Anyways, I must be certain of what I think and do before I proclaim anything other. My mother's all excited about something, I notice as I glance around, trying to remain a tad conspicuous. That's when she shows an envelope

to my father and his normally timid expression turns into something between wild fury and ecstasy. I dare not venture a guess on why, I just know it has to do with me. Being an eldest and all, I bear the family's most prized attributes, and good charm.


End file.
